James Gunn cautiously reveals that two beleaguered DC comic series are still ‘in development’ – but the DCU’s biggest cinematic gamble has been abandoned

James Gunn shared an update on three DCU Chapter One projects
A film announced in January 2023 is no longer in active development
Two long-dormant shows are still in the works

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has provided fans with an update on three embattled DC Universe (DCU) projects – and it’s bad news for one of them. In response to a fan on Threads, Gunn confirmed that The Authoritya film that was part of Gunn’s initial announcement about the DCU Chapter One lineup in January 2023, has been canceled.

As part of a longer response to someone who speculated that Gunn was considering writing and/or directing the film, he said: “The storyline wasn’t quite there, but more importantly, it didn’t work in terms of the broader DCU, both in terms of story and practical issues. Maybe [we’ll revisit it] A day [but] Not soon.”

The Authority would have played The Engineer by María Gabriela de Faría, who appeared in Superman in 2025 (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Unveiled alongside new solo adventures for DC icons Superman and Batman as part of Gunn and co-lead Peter Safran’s new film franchise, The Authority was to be influenced by the eponymous anti-hero team’s comic book series published by DC’s sister company Wildstorm.

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While the DCU Chapter 1 roster has undergone some changes since its reveal in early 2023, the film adaptation of The Authority has become the first major casualty of Gunn and Saffron’s reign.

A promotional image of Booster Gold smiling for his DCU television series — Booster Gold will tell the story of the titular showboater’s attempts to become a hero in his own right. (Image credit: DC Studios)

As for two other productions — Gold Booster And Paradise lost – who have been stuck in development limbo for over three years, Gunn shared a more positive, albeit short, update.

Responding to another question regarding two shows that are still expected to premiere on HBO Max at some point, Gunn wrote: “Gold Booster is in development. Paradise lost is in extreme development.”

Of course, that doesn’t indicate when we might see either. Nonetheless, this confirms that both TV series are still in development, which is good news when we’ve heard very little about them since they were confirmed as part of DCU Chapter One.

A screenshot of a comic page used to depict the DCU TV show Paradise Lost.

Paradise Lost has been described as Games of Thrones set on Wonder Woman’s home island of Themyscira. (Image credit: DC Comics)

Or Gold Booster is concerned, the DCU’s most unlikely TV show reportedly found its showrunner last July. However, in March, DC fans began to debate Gold BoosterThe fate of amid reports that its showrunner had left. Gunn’s latest comments will therefore have some fans breathing a sigh of relief.

Things were even calmer on the side Paradise lost in front. Indeed, with the announcement last June that a Wonder Woman movie was in the works, fans were wondering if the Wonder Woman-adjacent TV series would ever see the light of day. Long story short: it will.

Are you sad that The Authority no longer? And which of Gold Booster And Paradise lost what do you want to see most? Let me know in the comments.